Nurses practicing in Today’s healthcare environment

range of information and to keep current with advances in ethical practices.

After choosing your topic, you will formulate a position and then proceed to support your
position from the relevant course resources. Remember, there is no right or wrong
position.

The important thing is how you support your stated position through relevant
course resources.

Process:
1. Select a topic from list below: end of life, nurse staffing or moral distress. Be
sure to choose a topic that you have a strong interest in or a strong personal
belief in.
2. Review course resources about your topic to familiarize yourself with the
different perspectives that exist on about your topic
3. Formulate a clear and concise essay.

The aim of your paper is then to
support your position through ethical reasoning using course concepts.
4. Paper Overview:
a. Introduction Paragraph that engages the reader’s attention, identifies
your view point statement, and gives a brief overview of what the
essay will cover.

b. Identify how 2 different ethical theories would view the ethical dilemma
c. Identify how 2 or more Bioethical Principles are conflicted in this ethical
dilemma.
d. Identify relevant nursing standards or codes (CNO)
e. Conclusion Paragraph that provides a summary of the most salient
points.

Topics: End of life

 Help with a good death – in whichever way is desired, justifiable and
appropriate. A broad, generic term for the right to die. Helping patients who
desire a hastened death to avoid further suffering and to die with dignity is an
expectation of a nurse however can be filled with distress and emotions for
the nurse.

It is also common during end-of-life care, where patients and
caregivers may experience charged emotions, grief, and loss. Discuss the
role of the nurse in Ontario and the ethical dilemmas they face in end of life
care and supporting medically assisted death.

Nurse Staffing

 The health care system faces complex and dynamic challenges. Nursing
shortages brought about by: economizing choices of leadership and
management, an aging patient population, increased acuity, complexity and care
needs of patients, and an aging nursing workforce.

These factors place stress on
working conditions for nurses and impacts patient care and overall outcomes.
Explore the ethical dilemmas of nursing shortages.
Moral distress

 Nurses encounter ethical dilemmas every day in practice, in situations where the
ability to do the right thing is frequently hindered by conflicting values and beliefs
of other healthcare providers, clients or personal values. Some confront the
ethical issues directly while others turn away.

Upholding our commitment to
patients requires significant moral courage. Discuss compassion fatigue and the
implications on nursing.